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Independent Cycling Race Previews

Giro d’Italia 2018

Before the riders are able to enjoy the second rest day of this year’s Giro d’Italia, they must first survive another onslaught of mountainous terrain, courtesy of Stage 15’s 176km trek from Tolmezzo to Sappada. Climbing immediately from the start, we can expect to see the type of fierce fight to join the breakaway which has become a regular feature during the opening half of the race so far. Four categorised climbs feature during the day, including a trio of Category 2 ascents in the second part of the stage, making for a draining run into the base of the uphill finish which shall decide the winner.

Contenders:

Simon Yates has ridden with immense flair during his time in the maglia rosa thus far and shall be favourite to extend his ownership of the jersey with another swashbuckling attempt at victory. He impressed many with yesterday’s performance upon the intimidating Monte Zoncolan, riding with experience beyond his years and measuring his efforts to near perfection by the time the finish line was in sight. He does not shy away from the chance of a stage win as current race leader and knows that he is likely to be the fastest amongst many riders who may form an elite group which decides the day’s outcome.

Thibaut Pinot will believe this to be an ideal stage for his strengths, with long ascents and relatively controlled gradients, he will be eager to begin taking back time on his rivals ahead of the second rest day. Despite the uphill rise to the finish, the incline actually softens dramatically in the approach to the line, meaning the Frenchman will have a chance to utilise his powerful sprinting capabilities; something which perhaps only Simon Yates could better.

Chris Froome once again seized upon the first serious mountain stage to demonstrate his power and stake his claim to the overall title at this year’s Giro d’Italia. There is no denying his classy performance on Stage 14, though the Sky rider was able to take advantage of the ludicrously challenging nature of the gradients, which he will struggle to repeat on today’s parcours. Regardless, if he really is beginning to hit peak form ahead of the final week, then a dominant performance could be close at hand.

Michael Woods and Miguel Angel Lopez are two riders to consider for victory, as both have the attributes to ride strongly on the climb to the line, while also possessing a decent turn of pace to beat most rivals after another tough day at the Giro d’Italia.

After plenty of action during the opening week and a half of racing, we finally reach the first serious mountain stage of 2018’s Giro d’Italia. The 186km route from San Vito al Tagliamento to Monte Zoncolan is bound to prove the first vicious exchange of attacks amongst the general classification contenders for this year’s race. There is plenty to soften up the peloton’s legs during Stage 14, though it is the ascent of Monte Zoncolan which is anticipated to cause a serious stir amongst the general classification.

Contenders:

Thibaut Pinot has been eager to keep his form under control during the opening half of this year’s Giro d’Italia, focusing on avoiding the dangerous early peak which can affect general classification riders. The Frenchman has avoided digging too deep during this opening half of the race, though is certain to be eager to establish his dominance during this part of the race. If the day unfolds as planned, there is a great opportunity for Pinot to improve his position within the general classification and he is unlikely to say no to such a chance.

Miguel Angel Lopez still needs to take back time and may well begin his campaign with serious endeavour as of tomorrow. Though the bunch shall be keen to keep an eye upon him, there is doubt he shall be easy enough to control, more likely becoming a main protagonist during the final moments of Stage 14.

Domenico Pozzovivo is enjoying the form of his life and will be all too aware that a strong performance here is likely to be required ahead of the individual time trial and the rivals which it brings down upon them. The diminutive climber shall not be afraid of shaking things up and is likely to prove a fuse ready to be lit.

Simon Yates has proven to be an aggressive custodian of this year’s maglia rosa, though will still be eager to cement his placing amongst the major names for the overall open win. If the race pans out as ideally as possible, then a late attack from him is definitely expected, one which may lead to victory.

A 214km blast from yesterday’s finish of Osimo to Imola on Stage 12 looks to be a surefire opportunity for the sprinters to take glory for themselves again. With little of note until a tame Category 4 climb 8km from the finish, it is difficult to imagine any outcome beyond a bunch kick, especially given the broad mix of teams with an interest today.

Contenders:

Elia Viviani will be able to reignite his campaign upon the points classification and has worked hard to avoid working much at all in recent days; however much a juxtaposition that may sound. He appears to have looked after his condition well, confidently eyeing up another win on Stage 12, where he shall be the favourite for many to secure the honours. His rivals will seek to up the tempo over the late Category 4 climb, but with years of track experience when it comes to recovering quickly to go deep once again, Viviani will be a tough nut to crack.

Sam Bennett finally got the monkey off his back and took the first grand tour stage of his career, though will now be eager to increase that tally as soon as possible. With plenty of firepower in support of him, they will make the race hard late in the day, but perhaps do not have the topographical ammunition required to truly make the Irishman’s rivals suffer. With the first half of the Giro d’Italia now heavy in the legs of many, Bennett could though prove the most resilient of all the fast men here.

Niccolo Bonifazio is a another rider who is likely to want to utilise the rise in the road during the run into Imola as a tool to diminish the odds of Viviani taking another stage victory. He has worked hard within his team to support the ambitions of leader Domenico Pozzovivo, which means unlike others mentioned here, he does not benefit from the luxury of being a protected rider throughout the Giro. Despite this, the strength which he has shown so far is encouraging and a podium placing is well with his grasp.

Sacha Modolo has not impressed as much as expected so far, but has the potential to be one of the least fatigued during the latter half of his home grand tour. Though his team does support him to an extent, there is no depth to his leadout and he will need to surf the wheels intelligently in order to compensate for this. Luckily, this is certainly a talent for him and could prove pivotal when combined with his ability to deal with the climb before Imola, increasing the likelihood of a win.

Another day which is bound to prove a tug of war amongst the bunch and the breakaway, Stage 11’s 156km from Assisi to Osimo is likely to be explosive and fractious once again. Rising steadily from the start, it will take time for the day’s breakaway to form, though it would not be surprising to see this early move scuppered and reformulated mid-stage like yesterday, yet the main focus shall undoubtedly remain upon the finish itself. The final 5km starts with a rise of 16%, then sends the riders plunging immediately back down, before playing out the last 2.5km entirely uphill; featuring another ramp of 16%. It will take a gritty performance to take the stage honours in Osimo, with plenty of grimacing faces as the riders cross the line.

Contenders:

Diego Ulissi shall look upon the finale of Stage 11 gleefully, confident that he has been successful upon this type of terrain on numerous occasions before. His form may not be comparable to his historic best, but class is permanent and he is more than worthy of being picked out as a key player in the final moments of today.

Gianluca Brambilla was surprisingly anonymous yesterday, though still finished in ninth place, seemingly happy to allow his teammate Jarlinson Pantano a shot at breakaway success instead. The course suits the Italian well, providing him with opportunities to join an initial large break, before then seeking to whittle the group down in the final kilometres. Relatively quick against a strong gradient such as today’s, he could finally put to bed the illness and misfortune which has seen him fall from people’s radars in the last year.

Enrico Battaglin made a clear effort to sweep up the final points in the sprint competition on Stage 10 and knows he has the form required to win Stage 11 to step up the seriousness of his campaign upon the maglia ciclamino. Having already won at this year’s Giro d’Italia, he has far less pressure to perform and will enjoy the ability to monitor his rivals ahead of reaching out for his own glory.

Michael Woods looks to be the most likely contender amongst the general classification riders, as the final sharp run to the line is reminiscent of the Ardennes terrain which we have seen the Canadian do so well on previously. With his ambitions of a strong overall performance looking precarious, a victory today would be a great confidence booster and there is no denying he has the talent to do so if interested.

Returning to the fray after a day off, this year’s Giro d’Italia offers up another opportunity for the breakaway to succeed, as the race heads from Penne to Gualdo Tadino. Totalling 239km, this is the longest day in the saddle for the riders at 2018’s edition, but should prove relatively manageable for those outside of the breakaway battle royale. Starting immediately with a tough Category 2 ascent, the contest to make the day’s cut is going to be a fierce affair, as it is unlikely the bunch will wish to work hard to reel back the morning’s move once it is away. The finish itself is somewhat rolling and technically demanding, though never becomes steep enough to truly favour the talents of pure puncheurs nor those with a strong uphill sprint. As with any lottery, on Stage 10 at this year’s Giro d’Italia, you have to be in it to win it.

Contenders:

Diego Ulissi now looks to be peaking well as the race enters its second week and will not wish to let such good form go unrewarded. A strong enough climber to follow the decisive moves early on, the Italian will be extremely confident of beating most of his likely fellow escapees in a sprint to the line, especially as the stage does not offer many clear opportunities for a rider to splinter from the beak in the final 40km. The only negative for Ulissi is that the day’s potential sprint finish is not contested at a noteworthy gradient, as he is often unmatchable when striking out for the win uphill.

Gianluca Brambilla may now be approaching the level of form which has previously delivered him grand tour stage victories and will look upon the difficult start to Stage 10 eagerly. A competent breakaway rider who climbs strongly and packs a competitive turn of speed, Brambilla is certainly a contender whom many others will wish to shake loose late in the day.

Giovanni Visconti is somewhat of a specialist when these long grand tour stages appear on the route, though is likely to have preferred a greater number of serious climbs to really make his rivals suffer on the day. Anticipated to be one of the instigators who helps to shape the breakaway, he knows how to survive such a stage in as best condition as possible and may prove to be one of the few strong enough to go solo during the latter half of the day if able.

Fausto Masnada and Natnael Berhane could both be enticed into action on Stage 10, knowing that a decent performance could deliver them some time in the King of the Mountains jersey, regardless of whether either seriously contests the day’s outcome.

Totalling 225km, Stage 9 is the first serious day of racing we can expect to see amongst the general classification riders, given that it finishes atop Gran Sasso d’Italia at the end of the stage. Having left Pesco Sannita earlier on,it is nearly 100km before the peloton reach the first of the day’s three categorised climbs, though it almost immediately then sends them back down to the valley floor. From here they face nearly 50km of constantly rising terrain, anticipated to thin the ranks of the peloton gradually, until the big names are left to fight amongst themselves en route to the summit finish.

Contenders:

Domenico Pozzovivo suits this day particularly well, and given his stunning form in 2018, it is difficult for him to not catch the eye of those seeking to predict the day’s winner. He should feel assured of matching his rivals all the way to the summit finish, though it is his explosive turn of pace at the end of such a day which is likely to secure him the win. Long since styled a nearly man by many, this is an opportunity for the diminutive rider to finally shake that monkey from his back.

Thibaut Pinot appeared ready once again for fireworks amongst the maglia rosa contenders yesterday, but ended the day with having kept his powder dry ahead of today’s rigours. The Frenchman will like the look of this long ascent towards the day’s summit finish, well suited to his talents for sustaining a strong tempo right to the top, before then breaking out for the win with his trademark sprinting capabilities.

Esteban Chaves looked to be the best climber on Mount Etna, even though he had spent nearly the entire day within the stage’s breakaway, justly rewarded for his prowess by his team leader Simon Yates. Stage 9 would normally prove a particularly appealing prospect yet again, however the team dynamic has now changed since taking the leader’s jersey and the Colombian could be kept on a tight leash for the benefit of his British counterpart.

Simon Yates may well have gained even more time upon the Mount Etna finish, had he had the confidence to attack earlier, a tendency for hesitation which has been documented several times throughout his career so far. Regardless, the team and himself will be wanting to defend the pink jersey ahead of the rest day, though his current form suggests he may even be able to extend his lead. With such a strong array of riders at his disposal, it seems unlikely he shall become isolated late in the day, instead he should be confident of finding himself in a position to seize a tighter grip on the general classification.

Miguel Angel Lopez will be aware of the need to make up time as soon as possible, therefore could be tempted into action if the opportunity to do so becomes apparent. Almost unmatchable on his day, it is still not quite clear how great his condition is right now, though no rival will feel certain of being able to match the Colombian’s best on close to his favoured terrain.

Stage Eight’s 209km passage from yesterday’s finishing town of Praia a Mare to Montevergine di Mercogliano will be a day which catches the eye of plenty within the peloton. With its relatively open array of potential outcomes, the fight to be part of the day’s breakaway is likely to be an intense one, thus a fast start to the stage is expected. Once the break does form, there is not a great deal of climbing to be done between 102km to 155km, meaning the bunch should find it easy to control the escapees; should they wish to at least. Once upon the opening slopes of the day’s finish, it will soon become apparent if the breakaway as the chance to decide the glory amongst themselves or whether the hounding pack of favourites will soon descend upon them to snatch the victory for themselves.

Contenders:

Tim Wellens has been enjoying some sparkling form in 2018 and will look upon this eagerly to double up on his current tally of wins at this year’s Giro d’Italia at the first opportunity since Stage 4. Able to takes his chances from an early breakaway or late move on the final climb, he is one of the most dangerous riders in contention, right now appearing unmatchable on his favoured terrain. He will struggle to catch anyone by surprise now however and could find willing accomplices hard to come by.

Diego Ulissi appeared to be in a fantastic position to contest the win on Stage 5, but hesitated with less than 1km remaining and subsequently lost his shot at victory. Today is a chance to rectify that moment of miscalculation, seeking to make the most of a finale which plays to his strengths convincingly. His greatest hinderance may prove to be his current placing on the general classification, limiting his odds of joining an early move, though he could benefit from an eager Mitchelton – Scott chasing and leap from the pack in the final kilometres instead.

Thibaut Pinot is the big name rider most likely to take the win from a maglia rosa lead group deciding the day’s outcome. The Frenchman is looking extremely strong right now and is riding within himself to avoid peaking too soon it seems, though it still remains apparent how clearly in form he is. Suited to this longer final ascent and capable of producing a convincing sprint finish, Pinot should dominate a surge to the line amongst the general classification contenders.

Giulio Ciccone shall be a wildcard pick for the stage win, but looked so fiesty when attacking upon Etna, it is tough to not consider him a serious player for victory. Likely to be allowed a much greater degree of freedom than the others mentioned above, he has looked to be one of the best climbers already at this year’s Giro d’Italia, though will need a strong performance to compensate for the less than ideal start and finish to Stage 8.